Michelangelo’s “David-Apollo,” pictured at theArt Institute of Chicago,is now on view at theNational Gallery of ArtinWashington, D.C. Thesculpture, made around1530, is on loan from theMuseo Nazionale delBargello in Florence,Italy, and was last shownin the capital in 1949when it drew nearly800,000 visitors. It wasalso a centerpiece forthose who attendedPresident Harry Truman’sinaugural receptionat the gallery.

Either way, “David-Apollo” is a tour de force of Italian Renaissance art. And the impressive marble sculpture, created by the Italian master Michelangelo Buonarroti, has made a return visit to the National Gallery of Art, 63 years after its first display at the museum.

Italy loaned “David-Apollo” to the United States for temporary display at the National Gallery in 1949, in appreciation for aid that America provided to Italy in the years after the Second World War.

This time around, the “David-Apollo” exhibition kicks off a yearlong celebration, “2013 — The Year of Italian Culture,” which will spotlight the best of Italian arts and culture in more than 40 U.S. cities.

“The decision to launch ‘2013 — The Year of Italian Culture’ in the U.S. with this exhibit was easy, even natural. Indeed, Michelangelo’s David-Apollo is a true masterpiece,” said Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs Giulio Terzi di Sant’Agata, during his remarks at a press conference last week at the National Gallery. “But perhaps more significantly, it is also a symbol of the strong historical ties and of the deep friendship between the United States and Italy.”

Michelangelo created “David-Apollo” around 1530 for the interim governor of Florence, Baccio Valori.

“David-Apollo” represents an important transition in Italian Renaissance art.

Before 1520, Italian artwork served a specific intention, namely as devotional pieces, domestic decorations or as a public monument. But by the time Michelangelo produced “David-Apollo,” the purpose of art had changed, placing a new emphasis on creative powers of an artistic master.

The identity of the statue remains somewhat of a mystery. A block hanging down the boy’s back could be interpreted as a quiver for arrows for the sun god Apollo, or the sling that David used to slay Goliath in the Old Testament story. A rounded mass on which the figure’s right foot rests may or may not represent the head of Goliath.

The young male stands just under 5 feet tall, frozen in a heavy twisting motion. Pattern marks on the sculpture also indicate that Michelangelo abandoned the work before its completion.

The two visits by “David-Apollo” to the National Gallery share unique timing with an important political event in America — a presidential inauguration.

The sculpture’s display in 1949 coincided with the inauguration of President Harry S. Truman. On Jan. 21, “David-Apollo” will likewise be present in the nation’s capital for the second inauguration of President Barack Obama.

During its six-month display in 1949, almost 800,000 visitors called on the National Gallery to view “David-Apollo.”

“David-Apollo” will be on view inside the museum’s West Building until March 3.